The White House does not plan to immediately name a replacement for Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt when she leaves at the end of August, with senior administration officials expected to continue handling briefings while President Donald Trump considers longer-term options.
Leavitt’s departure, announced by Trump on Wednesday, leaves the administration without a permanent occupant for one of its most visible positions less than three months before the midterm elections.
Sources within and close to the administration said no decision on a successor has been made.
A White House official told The Independent that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent could continue appearing before reporters, following the approach used during Leavitt’s recent maternity leave.
The lack of an immediate replacement partly reflects the suddenness of Leavitt’s decision and her longstanding relationship with Trump.
Trump said Leavitt would remain one of his top outside advisers and work with the Republican Party ahead of November.
Leavitt said she was leaving after concluding she could not balance the position’s demands with being the mother she wanted to be to her two young children.
The 28-year-old, who became the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary, was appointed in November 2024 and recently returned from parental leave following the May 1 birth of her daughter.
Speculation over a permanent replacement has focused on figures inside and outside the administration.
Anna Kelly, the principal deputy press secretary, is the most senior press official below Leavitt and has increasingly represented the White House in television and radio appearances.
Other names mentioned include former Trump attorney Alina Habba, podcaster and former Trump administration official Katie Miller, political commentator Scott Jennings, former television anchor Sage Steele and former Homeland Security communications official Tricia McLaughlin.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung has also been identified as a possible candidate, alongside Matthew Boyle and former White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich.
For now, however, the administration appears prepared to rely on senior officials rather than immediately appoint an acting or permanent successor.